[227]. D’où venes vous? De Marinnan. A qui estes vous? A un Portugais. Que fais tu-la? Je garde les poulles. Vous gardez les poulles? Ouy moy, & je sçai bien faire.—Sir William Temple’s Memoirs, and Mr. Locke’s Essay, Book II. chap. 27.
... “I could not but tell this odd Story, because it is so much out of the way, and from the first hand, and what may pass for a good one; for I dare say, this Prince at least believed himself in all he told me, having ever past for a very honest and pious Man. I leave it to Naturalists to reason, and to other Men to believe as they please upon it; however, it is not perhaps amiss to relieve or enliven a busy Scene sometimes with such Digressions, whether to the purpose or no.” So far Sir William Temple.
Wonder not then, if you meet in this History with some romantick Sentiments entertained by learned Men concerning Serpents, when two such illustrious Pillars of the Commonwealth of Letters, give way to a Relation that has so much of the Marvellous in it.
XLI. These Historians inform us of many more Serpents, and some of great bulk, that infest those American Regions; whose Looks are ruddy, of blood-red Colour, that shine in the Night, like so many glittering Stars.
A modern Author writes, that in America are some Snakes that were eight Foot long, and as red as Blood, which in the Night look’d like Fire[[228]].
[228]. Anton. Herrera’s History of America, Vol. II. in his Account of Darien, p. 72.
The former black, and these shining Serpents, remind me of the Obsidian Stones, that are very black and transparent; they have their Names from one Obsidius, who first found them in Æthiopia.
There is a sort of natural Obsidian Glass, which is rather to be ranked among Stones than Metals; ’tis as passive as the former, enduring the Graving-Tool, is diaphanous and pellucid, receiving Images, and, like artificial Glass, transmitting all Forms and Shapes.
This is found in Æthiopia, where the Sepulchres of the Nobles are usually made of it, and after this manner; viz. They take a large Stone, and make it hollow, and in the Cavity include the Corps, where it is not only preserved, but, as if entomb’d in Glass, is apparently visible to Spectators, and sends forth no ungrateful Scent.
Out of these Obsidian Stones, Looking-Glasses are wont to be made, and are also found on the Coasts of Arabia. These shining Stones were inserted into Rings, and in one of them was cut the entire Image of Augustus, who being much taken with these Stones of Glass, caused four Elephants to be made of them,—See the Commentary upon Pancirollus, B. i. of Jet; and Pliny, B. xxxvi. c. 26.